1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector and an assembling method for assembling a connector provided with a connection detecting function.
2. Description of the Related Art
A connector with a connection detecting function is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,802 and also is shown in FIG. 12 herein. The connector of FIG. 12 has a female housing 1 and a male housing 2 that can be connected with each other. A lock arm 3 is formed on the female housing 1 and is configured to engage the male housing 2 as the housings 1 and 2 are being connected. A slider 4 and a coil spring 4 are mounted in the male housing 2 and are disposed so that the coil spring 5 biases the slider 4 forwardly. The lock arm 3 deforms resiliently when the housings 1, 2 are being connected with each other and pushes the slider 4 rearwardly against the biasing force of the coil spring 5. The lock arm 3 is restored resiliently to its original shape when the housings 1 and 2 are connected properly to lock the housings 1, 2 into each other. However, the biasing force of the coil spring 5 returns the slider 4 to its initial position upon disengagement of the slider 4 from the lock arm 3.
The connection process could be interrupted with the housings 1, 2 only partly connected. In this situation, the coil spring 5 pushes the slider 4 forwardly, and the slider 4, in turn, pushes the lock arm 3 in a direction to separate the housings 1, 2 from each other. This separating movement provides an indication that the housings 1, 2 were left only partly connected.
The housings 1, 2 may have to be detached from each other for maintenance. Disconnection is achieved by resiliently deforming the lock arm 3 and then pulling the female housing 1 in a disconnecting direction. However, disconnection may be interrupted, and the housings 1, 2 may be left only partly connected during a separating operation.
Partial connection of the housings during the separating operation cannot be detected in conventional connectors. Hence, a demand exists for connectors capable of making such a detection.
The present invention was developed in view of the above situation and an object thereof is to enable a partial connection detection both during a connecting operation and during a separating operation.
The invention is directed to a connector with first and second housings that are connectable with each other. A slider is assembled in the first housing and is movable forward and backward along connecting and separating directions of the housings. A biasing means may be provided in the first housing for biasing the slider forwardly. An engaging portion is provided in the second housing and is resiliently or elastically displaceable between a first position and a second position where the housings are connected.
The slider is engaged with the engaging portion when the engaging portion is in the first position. The slider is moved away from the second housing against the biasing force of the biasing means both at an intermediate stage of a connecting operation and at an intermediate stage of separating the connector housings.
The engaging portion is displaced resiliently to the second position and is disengaged from the slider when the housings are connected properly with each other. The slider then is moved forward or toward the second housing by the release of the biasing force accumulated in the biasing means.
The slider preferably comprises an operable portion for moving the slider away from the second connector housing against the force of the biasing means to a position where displacement of the resiliently engaging portion to the first position is permitted.
The operable portion preferably is spaced from a leading end of the second connector housing when the first connector housing is connected properly with the second connector housing.
Accordingly, at the intermediate stage of the connecting operation, the slider is pushed by the resilient engaging portion in the engaging position and is moved back against the biasing force of the slider. The connecting operation could be interrupted at this stage. If the biasing force of the biasing means is released, the forwardly biased slider pushes the resiliently engaging portion to separate the connector housings forcibly. As a result, partial connection can be detected. When the connector housings are connected properly with each other, the resilient engaging portion is disengaged from the slider. Thus, the biasing force accumulated in the biasing means is released and the slider is moved forward.
The connected housings are separated by moving the slider back against the biasing force of the biasing means. If the separating operation is interrupted halfway, the slider is biased forward, by the release of the biasing force accumulated in the biasing means, and engages the resilient engaging portion that was displaced resiliently from the disengaging position to the engaging position to separate the housings forcibly. As a result, partial connection can be detected.
Thus, partial connection can be detected both during the connecting operation and during the separating operation.
The slider must be able to move back against the biasing force of the biasing means when the housings are to be separated. Thus, the operable portion is spaced back from the leading end of the other connector housing with the housings properly connected with each other. With such a construction, the operable portion is not covered by the other housing, and can be operated without interfering with the other housing. In the case that the operable portion is covered by the other housing, it is necessary to form the operable portion must bulge out to project from the other housing. However, with the subject invention, the operable portion can be made smaller by as much as the thickness of the other housing, thereby enabling the connector to be smaller. Further, a space is provided between an end of the operable portion and the leading end of the other connector housing. Therefore, the operable portion can be pulled by placing finger at the end of the operable portion toward the other connector housing. Thus, the operability of the slider can be improved further improved.
Two operable portions preferably are provided at substantially symmetrical positions of the slider. Accordingly, the slider can be operated easily by gripping and pulling the two operable portions.
The slider preferably comprises a wire accommodating portion to substantially cover the rear surfaces of the cavities in the first housing and to accommodate the terminal fittings. The wire accommodating portion is formed with wire accommodating holes that communicates with the respective cavities, and the side surface or the opposite side surfaces of the wire accommodating portion preferably serve as the operable portion. Accordingly, the connector can be made smaller since a portion of the slider where the operable portion(s) is/are formed also serves as part of the connector housing.
The resiliently engaging portion may be displaceable resiliently in a direction intersecting with the connecting and separating directions.
The resilient engaging portion preferably is provided in a receptacle of the second housing into which the first housing is at least partly insertable.
According to the invention, there is further provided a method of assembling a connector having at least one pair of housings at least partly connectable with each other. The method comprises connecting a first housing with a second housing to bring a resilient engaging portion in the second housing into engagement with a portion of the first housing to displace the resilient engaging portion from a second position where it is not engageable with the slider along connecting and separating directions of the housings to a first position where it preferably is engageable with the slider along the connecting and separating directions.
According to a preferred method, the slider engaged with the resilient engaging portion in the first position is moved back both at an intermediate stage of a connecting operation and at an intermediate stage of a separating operation, and/or when the connector housings are connected properly with each other, the engaging portion is displaced resiliently to the second position and is not engageable with the slider along the connecting and separating directions. Accordingly, the slider is moved forward.
Preferably, the method further comprises moving the slider away from the second connector housing against a biasing force of a biasing means, to a position where a displacement of the resilient engaging portion to the first position is permitted, by manipulating an operable portion of the slider.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings. It should be understood that even though embodiments are separately described, single features thereof may be combined to additional embodiments.